"I come from a Colombian background, and where my mom is from in Barranquilla, we celebrate Carnival every year," said the 27-year-old who last December became paralyzed from the chest down after having surgery to remove a tumor on her spine. "I used to dance in these parades. We'd have choreographed dances, and it's like a six-month preparation, so it was a big part of my life.

"... Even if I'm left at the point where I'm at right now, I'm still able to do so much. But in my heart, I've always been a dancer. I've always said I'm going to dance again, and I will."

To help Kattah work toward her goal, Miami Beach-based nonprofit Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research has organized a fundraiser with the aim of raising $5,000 to award her a fitness scholarship. It will allow the Sunrise resident and crime analyst for the Broward Sheriff's Office to receive high-intensity therapy at NeuroFit 360, a neurological injury recovery and wellness center in Pembroke Pines, twice a week for six months.

Knockout Paralysis with Jessika! and Professional Boxer Daniel Jacobs will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at StrikeGym, 6814 N. State Road 7, Coconut Creek.

"We're going to have all sorts of fitness activities, from a kickboxing class to a Zumba class to an obstacle course," said Sabrina Cohen, founder and president of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation.

There will also be live music, giveaways, raffles and a meet and greet with professional boxer and middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs, who himself experienced paralysis caused by a spinal tumor. Defying prognosis, Jacobs relearned how to walk, and last October — only a year-and-a-half after surgery — the Brooklyn resident returned to boxing. Soon thereafter, he established the Get in the Ring Foundation to help children facing cancer, obesity and bullying.

During the fundraiser, Jacobs will demonstrate boxing techniques and discuss some of his experiences. While all of the event's activities will be complimentary, cash and check donations are encouraged.

Kattah was 14 years old when doctors first discovered a benign fatty tissue tumor surrounding her spine.

"It was the length of a hot dog and the width of a baseball," Kattah described.

Surgery was able to remove 75 percent of the tumor, and after three months of physical therapy, she returned to her life as usual.

More than a decade later, in August 2012, Kattah underwent ankle ligament reconstruction surgery. When her physical therapist noted that she was not recovering fast enough and that her balance was off, he recommended Kattah see a neurologist.

Without even realizing it, she had lost a significant amount of sensation from her chest down, and an MRI revealed that the tumor had returned, even larger than the first time. Kattah had surgery to remove it two weeks later in mid-December.

"They did mention a few scenarios of what could happen," she said, "but I was just thinking it's like the first surgery, so for me, it was just like, 'I'll be fine. I'll be fine in three months, and I'll be back to my normal life.'"

When Kattah awoke from the surgery, all of the sensation below her chest was gone — she was paraplegic.

She spent a month in a rehabilitation center, where she made significant progress, even taking some 250 steps with the help of a walker.

But five months into her recovery, she got a blister on her foot. Although she couldn't feel it, the blister caused her legs to spasm every time she tried to walk, and it took two-and-a-half months to heal.

"I feel like I'm starting my recovery all over again now that that's healed, now that I'm back in therapy," Kattah said. "It's also been an issue trying to get more therapy covered by my insurance."

Late last month, a family friend contacted the Get in the Ring Foundation, requesting Jacobs call Kattah to give her words of inspiration. Instead, Jacobs called Kattah and arranged to come visit her.

"Immediately her story grabbed me," Jacobs said. "It was so similar to mine that I just had this urge to meet her."

During the same weekend Kattah heard from Jacobs, she met with Cohen, who became a quadriplegic after suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident in 1992. Through her foundation, Cohen advocates and raises money for stem cell research. This summer, she launched the scholarship program.

Recipients must have some sort of neurological condition and must not otherwise be able to afford specialized fitness and rehabilitation services.

"The third criteria is that you are totally ready and determined to push your limits and push your boundaries," said Cohen, also a motivational speaker and professional life coach. "Jessika really stood out as a fighter and somebody who is determined to change her quality of life."

It was at Cohen's suggestion that Kattah asked Jacobs to help her raise funds by doing a meet and greet during his visit.

"This all has come together very quickly," Kattah said. "... I'm so overwhelmed with emotion because I can't believe how many people want to help me, and they don't even know me."

To make a donation to Kattah's scholarship, visit sabrinacohenfoundation.org/donate or mail a check made out to Sabrina Cohen Foundation to Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research, 927 Lincoln Road, Suite 200, Miami Beach, Fla., 33139.